


Where were you?

by flashwitch



Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, Not tagging all fandoms, The Avengers, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angst, Other, interview format, not tagging all fandoms - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-08
Updated: 2012-08-14
Packaged: 2017-11-11 17:46:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/481183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flashwitch/pseuds/flashwitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of interviews with the denizens of New York a year after the Chitauri attack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series of interviews for a documentary which took place on the anniversary of the Chitauri attack. I made the decision to put it all in one chapter to give it cohesion, and because they are all individually short. Every interview is a cameo from another show/film, but only knowledge of The Avengers movie is necessary, and all cameos will be listed at the end for those who need it. Some films/shows get more than one cameo, just because.

**  
**Where were you when it happened?

"I was at the bakery actually." He reached up and ran a hand through his hair, smiling slightly. " _The Greatest Cake_ , it belongs to me, but I don't get there as often as I should."

"What was the first hint that something was wrong?"

"The screaming. I was sculpting handcuffs out of modelling chocolate for a friend's birthday, and I heard people screaming. I grabbed a knife and went to the door and..." he trailed off, shaking his head.

"And what?"

"There were people running. They were so scared. And then I saw them. The aliens. The Chitauri."

"The reports said that you herded the crowd into the bakery and armed yourself with a Chitauri weapon to protect them."

"I... yeah. I guess I did."

"What would you say to those who are calling New Yorkers who stood and fought heroes?"

The man laughed, his blue eyes flashing.

"I've been called a lot of things in my life, but that's a first! I'm not a hero. Not even close. One good deed doesn't make up for a lifetime of crime."

"Crime?"

The man didn't respond verbally. He just pulled his leg up to rest on his opposite knee and pulled up the end of his pants to reveal the tracking anklet that was around his leg.

"Thank you, Mr Caffrey. But a lot of people would disagree."

* * *

 

Where were you when it happened?

"The coffee shop," the woman said. She was small and had dark hair. A scar twisted down from her right temple to the corner of her mouth.

"Central Perk," her husband clarified. He was smiling, but it didn't really meet his eyes.

"We weren't even supposed to be in the city. We moved away a few years ago, to raise our babies." She pushed her hair back behind her ear in a nervous gesture, leaning into her husband.

"Why were you in the city?"

"We were meeting with friends." He shrugged. "We decided to come into the city and hang out at the coffee shop for old time's sakes." He looked down at the floor. "We used to hang out there all the time. They're still rebuilding it. And it's not going to be the same without Gunther."

"And I heard that the two of you managed to take down a Chitauri fly bike by yourselves."

"They hurt Joey," the couple answered as one.

"Thank you for your time, Mr and Mrs Bing."

* * *

 

Where were you when it happened?

"I was with my boss. In his office."

"And you're a lawyer, yes?"

"Yeah. Pearson Hardman." The young man seemed genuinely happy to be getting the attention, and he seemed like a good kid.

"When did you realise the earth was under attack?"

"About the time the Chitauri crashed through the window."

The reporter laughed politely.

"How did your office handle the attack?"

"Well Jessica, Miss Pearson, she's my boss's boss. She took charge of us, organized us into a miniature army. You'd think she'd spent half her life fighting space ships. She's scarily competent."

"I understand that you were injured quite seriously during the attack."

"Yeah. Head injury. I was out of it for a while. Apparently my boss took care of me." He smiled, content.

"Miss Pearson?"

"Oh, no. Harvey. Miss Pearson is his boss. He's my boss. He made sure I was out of the line of fire and that I wouldn't choke on my tongue."

"Have you had any long term effects from the incident?"

"I've had a few seizures. And I can see sound now, which is awesome, by the way. Honestly, I'm just lucky I survived." He smiled, wide and happy, shrugging.

"Is it true that you have been approached by SHIELD?"

"If I was, I couldn't say. Besides, I'm happy at Pearson Hardman. We've literally saved each others' lives. And I like being a lawyer."

"Thank you for your time, Mr Ross."

* * *

 

Where were you when it happened?

"We were all in the bar."

"MacLarens."

"Yeah, my husband and I live above it."

"We hang out there all the time."

"When did you first know what was happening?"

The group exchanged a look.

"Honestly?" the dark haired woman shrugged. "We didn't notice for a while. People came running into the bar, talking about aliens. We figured it was some kind of prank."

"Yeah, it wasn't until we went outside later that we realised what was going on."

"Well,  _they_  didn't realise what was going on.  _I_  did. I went out and fought the aliens singlehanded. I protected the bar from the alien incursion! And then I made out with a hot alien chick. True story."

"That is not a true story. He didn't leave the bar."

"Ted!"

"Thank you all for your time."

* * *

 

Where were you when it happened?

"I was at the precinct. I'm an observer with the NYPD."

"And what was your first hint that something was wrong?" the reporter was hanging on every word. He was a bit of a fan.

"There was a call to arms. Every single police officer in the city was being called out to fight."

"Did you go with them?"

"No. I thought about it, but Detective Beckett said that if I tried it, she'd shoot me herself. Besides, my daughter was in the precinct. I wasn't just going to leave her. We set up a triage area with the help of Laney, the coroner, and waited to do what we could."

"Was the precinct one that came under attack?"

"There was some damage to the top of the building but no serious casualties. We just had to handle the aftermath."

"And are the rumours of a new Nikki Heat novel true?"

"I've heard those rumours too.  _Heat Ray_. No. I'm not that tactless. I wouldn't write a novel about the invasion, not so soon."

"Are you still attached to the PD?"

"Not as an observer. I am volunteering as a community officer though."

"Did you lose anyone?"

There was a long pause.

"My mother was safely at a spa, and my daughter was fine. Physically fine anyway. One of the Detectives, Kevin Ryan. He'd been married only a couple of months, and she um, she didn't make it."

"I'm sorry. Thank you for your time."

* * *

 

Where were you when it happened?

"I was at home. My husband, Peter, was in the office. I was more worried about him than myself." The woman was beautiful, all curves and sexuality. She also seemed genuinely nice and kind, which made her seem even more attractive.

"When did you first know something was happening?"

"Peter's partner, Neal, he called me to see if I was alright. He couldn't get through to Peter."

"You must have been worried."

"Of course I was worried. I wanted to get to Peter, I wanted to get to Neal, I wanted to get the hell away from New York."

"What did you do?"

"I did what I could. I started putting together rescue packs. In my day to day life I'm an event organizer, so I had people who supply in bulk on my speed-dial. The house was out of the attack zone, so I had bottled water, canned goods, paramedic grade first aid kits delivered to me over the course of a few hours. I also called up all my staff members and they all volunteered to help. As soon as we got news that the attack was over, we headed straight into the disaster zone and did what we could."

"Wow, not a lot of people would have done that. Not a lot of people  _did_ do that. Was it all out of your own pocket too?"

"Originally, yes. It came from our rainy day account. But when word got out about what I was doing, Mr Stark offered to repay everything I'd already spent and helped me set up a charitable foundation."

"And your husband? You said you couldn't get in touch with him during the attack..."

"He's an FBI agent, so he was right in the thick of it. Hawkeye actually saved his life. He was a bit battered and bruised, but no serious injuries, thank God. I found him at Neal's Bakery after the attack. Neal donated all his baked goods to the survivors who's homes had been destroyed and he offered the use of his ovens and kitchen to every one without power.  _The Greatest Cake_  actually became the base for the rescue efforts."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Thank you for your time, Mrs Burke."

"Please, call me Elizabeth."

* * *

 

Where were you when it happened?

"I was in my office." The man exuded confidence, and didn't seem at all bothered at the topic of the invasion.

"Pearson Hardman?"

"Yes. I know you've already interviewed my associate. I don't really see the point in this."

"The city went through something terrible. We're still recovering. It does people good to hear stories of heroism."

"Heroism?"

"You and the rest of the firm killed more Chitauri than any other amateurs. And your associate said you saved his life."

"He was my responsibility. Besides, the dead Chitauri were more down to Jessica than to me."

"Modesty? I didn't expect that. And Miss Pearson has declined to be interviewed."

"She did? Interesting. I'm here under her orders."

"Is it true that you now represent the Avengers?"

"Yes."

"And you represent several other New York based Superheroes, don't you?"

"I can't speak to that."

"Thank you for your time, Mr Specter."

* * *

 

Where were you when it happened?

"We were actually in this bakery.  _The Greatest Cake_?"

"Yeah, we're trying to set up our own cupcake business. We were in there trying to get a look at the competition. And then the sky opened up and aliens came from nowhere." The two girls were a study in contrasts, one tall and blonde, the other short and dark haired. The blonde seemed very sincere, but the brunette was definitely sarcastic.

"Yeah."

"What happened then?"

"The guy running the bakery was scary competent. He got us all into the storeroom, and told us to stay down, and then he went away. We could hear things exploding and things crashing. Then the door opened."

"And Caroline screamed like a little girl, and grabbed a bag of flour like that could protect her."

"Max! You screamed too! But it was more survivors. And the guy who owned the bakery. He was bleeding and he had got hold of one of those death rays."

"He saved our lives."

"Thank you, girls."

* * *

 

Where were you when it happened?

"Well, it was very scary! I was at work, I run a clothes design company, you see. My husband and my step daughter were there with me. And then from nowhere these demons attacked from the sky! I didn't know what to think!"

"What happened then?"

"Well, they tried attacking the building. But I called to the animals and they helped me to fend off the attack. Along with my husband. He fights very well with a sword, you know. And Morgan, that's my step daughter, she was very brave and led everyone down to the basement where they would be safe."

"Wait, you called to the animals?"

"That's right!"

"And your husband fought off the aliens with his sword."

"Of course!"

"Riiiiight..." the reporter shook his head. "I think that's all we need. Thank you for your time. Enchanted to meet you."

"You're welcome!

* * *

 

Where were you when it happened?

"I was with my wife, in our apartment."

"And what was the first hint that something was wrong?"

"Well, we saw the sky open up and figured that wasn't a good thing."

"Of course. Were you and your wife hurt at all?"

"Not badly. We got a bit battered by debris. We didn't have much contact with the aliens, to be honest."

"As a senator, Mr Norris, what do you think about the Avengers?"

"I think that they're the good guys. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be having this conversation, we're be kneeling before a Norse God and surrounded by alien guards."

"What about the people who say that the Avengers are to blame for the damage to the city? What would you say to them?"

"I would say that we got lucky. We aren't dead. We aren't enslaved. A little bit of property damage, I can handle that."

"Thank you, Senator Norris."

* * *

 

Where were you when it happened? Were you at home? At work? At school? Will you always remember the sound of the death rays, the crashing of the rubble? Will you always owe your life to the brave heroes who defended us that day?

Where were you?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers are interviewed by our intrepid reporter. Touches on some of the stuff from previous chapter, but also expands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank those that commented on the first chapter, this ones for you guys.

“So,” the reporter smiled, all teeth, no substance. “I’ve been going around talking to regular New Yorkers about the Chitauri attack. I want to get your feelings on the attack and the aftermath.”

“Our opinion on the attack is that it sucked. Next question.”

“Tony...”

“No, he’s right. It’s a stupid question.”

“Clint!”

“Don’t encourage him.”

“Maybe I phrased that poorly...” the reporter smiled again, sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his neck. “How about this? What was the most uplifting moment for you all during the clean up? I know you were all heavily involved.”

There was a long pause while they considered it. Steve was the first to speak up, charmingly shy, but knowing it needed to be done.

“For me it was the good men and women of the NYPD. The whole department was called out to help with the attack itself. And there were a lot of casualties. Too many. I wouldn’t have blamed them if they all went home and slept for a week. But they didn’t. The next day, they were all there, right alongside us, clearing the rubble.”

“Is there anyone you want to mention in particular?”

“Danny and Lindsay Messer and Doc Hawkes. The Messers left their little girl at home with a friend to help, and Doc Hawkes offered free treatment to everyone who had injuries that were mild enough that the hospital wouldn’t take them.”

“It’s amazing, the way people pull together in a crisis.” The reporter was silent for a moment, then turned to Tony. “How about you, Mr Stark? Your uplifting moment?”

“Oh, that’s easy. The Burkes, and their friend Neal.”

“I actually interviewed Mrs Burke and Mr Caffrey. Neal, that is.”

“So then you know.”

“I do. But I want to hear what you think.”

“Well, I think that Neal and the Burkes are amazing. Caffrey is on a work release from prison, did you know that? I looked into it, afterwards. He was a conman and a forger. But during the attack, he sheltered refugees in his bakery. And after the attack, he offered his ovens and fridge to the people without power. And Mrs Burke literally emptied her bank account while the attack was _still going on_ to make sure people would have food, water and first aid when it was over.”

“And Mr Burke?”

“I asked him what he thought when he found out that his wife had emptied their savings account, and do you know what he said?” Tony smiled fondly and shook his head. “He said ‘What else was she going to do? People need the food and water.’ He said this while he was helping us dig out the remains of an apartment building, looking for survivors.”

“Mrs Burke told me that you insisted on paying back every cent she spent on the refugees.” Tony looked away, and Steve smiled at him.

“She deserved it. The three of them are really something individually. And when they’re in a room together? Wow.”

“I didn’t get a chance to meet Mr Burke. He doesn’t seem to like the limelight much. Unlike Neal.” Tony laughed at that. The reporter gave it a minute, then turned to Bruce. “How about you, Dr Banner?”

“Me? Um. Well, I guess, Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. They really impressed me.”

“That’s over in New Jersey, right?”

“That’s right. And we have hospital’s of our own, but they were overwhelmed by the numbers of injured. PPTH sent a team to help with rescue work and they took the overflow of patients as well. With no fuss, which is practically unheard of.”

“What about individuals though?”

“Dr Robert Chase. He’s a big deal over at PPTH, he’s head of Diagnostics. He deals with cases no one else can solve. And yet he was out here patching up refugees with the rest of us. He seemed like a good man.”

“Alright.” The reporter nodded and smiled, teeth showing again, and then he turned to Natasha. “What about you, Miss Romanov?”

“For me it has to be Larry Daley. He’s a guard over at the Museum of  Natural History. He works nights mostly, but he ended up covering a day shift on the day of the attack. He’d been working all night, and all day, and he still put himself between the Chitauri and the kid’s who were on a school trip.”

“He protected the children?”

“Yes. And at cost to himself. He will recover though.”

The reporter let that hang for a poignant moment before turning to Clint. He didn’t even have to say anything, before Barton was smirking, and replying to the question that all the others had been asked.

“For me it has to be the people who were damaged, permanently damaged, and yet they were out there with us, helping with the clear up.”

“Are you thinking of someone in particular?”

“Of course.” Clint smirked again, rubbing absently at his left ear. “He’s a lawyer, so get the jokes out of the way. I would have been impressed just at what he and his co-workers did during the attack. His boss, a Miss Pearson, had the whole firm organized into her own personal army. I’d be terrified if she wasn’t on our side, seriously. And they did well, really well. There were no fatalities in their offices. But there were injuries, and one of those was this baby lawyer. Mike Ross. He had a pretty serious head injury. He’s started having seizures, and he’s got... what’s the word... synethesia? I think that’s right. Literally as soon as he got out of the hospital, he was out on the streets, doing what he could.” Clint rubbed at his ear again. “His whole life had changed overnight, and he just cared about helping everyone else out. I know people who wouldn’t have handled that sort of change half as well as he did.”

“I actually interviewed him as well. He brushed off his own injuries and talked a lot about his boss.”

“Yeah, that’s Mike.”

“I also interviewed his boss, Harvey.”

“Ah. I bet he had a few choice words for you.”

“Yeah. He wasn’t impressed. Is it true he’s representing you guys?”

“I’m not going to answer that.”

“It was worth a try.” The reporter shrugged, smirking, and then turned to Thor. “Thor, my question for you is a little different. I want to know what you think of New York and its people as someone not from around here. You saw us for the first time during one of the worst events in New York history. What did you think?”

“The people of this great city endured much at the hands of my brother. For that, I have much sorrow. But the way the people came together, the way everyone supported each other, defended each other, that is a great thing. A truly great thing. I have seen great battles fought in lands far from here, and your everyday citizens comported themselves like soldiers. They have earned the respect, and the honour of Asgard. I salute them.”

“Thank you, Thor. That was very moving.”

“You are welcome.”Thor inclined his head, regally. The reporter let it stand for a moment, then cleared his throat.

“Mr Stark, Captain Rogers, we all know your stories. But, the people at home want to know. Who are the Avengers? Where did you all come from? How did you become a team? Mr Barton, how about you start on this one.”

“Where did I come from? Well, most recently, I’m from SHIELD. I was a spy, a secret agent. Before that, I was part of the circus. No joke. I was actually that walking cliché. I ran away and joined the circus when I was 12. They taught me to shoot. The Incredible Hawkeye. I used to ride backwards round the ring on a horse and shoot at targets.”

“What was that like, growing up in a circus?”

“It was what it was.” Clint shrugged it off.

“How about you, Ms Romanov?”

“I am also most recently from SHIELD. I’ve always worked closely with Clint. Hawkeye. He was... injured, close to the beginning of the investigation into Loki, and that’s when I was brought in to join the team.”

“What about before SHIELD?”

“I was Russian. I prefer not to talk about it.” Clint snorted at the way she said it.

“Okay...” the reporter didn’t know where to go with that, so he turned to Bruce. “Dr Banner, how about you? I mean, how did you go from destroying parts of New York to saving it?”

“First of all, that wasn’t my fault.”Banner pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“It really wasn’t,” Tony put in looking annoyed. “The Abomination did more damage than Bruce, and Bruce was The Other Guy at the time. He had no control over his actions.”

“That’s right.” Bruce smiled gently, and slightly nervously. “But I did feel guilty about it. I still do. And there was the small matter of having a rogue General obsessed with getting me in a cage. I ran as far and as fast as I could. I ended up in India.”

“Then what happened?”

“I treated the locals. I practiced control and meditation. Eventually, Natasha came for me. She said I was needed. She was very polite.” Banner and Romanov exchanged small, placid smiles.

“I see. What about you, Thor? Was the lead up to the attack your first time on Earth?”

“Oh, no. I was here once before. Not in New York though. My father stripped me of my powers and sent me hence. He wanted me to learn a lesson.”

“And did you?”

“Aye. I did.”

“Right. Okay.” The reporter obviously was thrown by that. He turned to Steve. “Captain Rogers, I wanted to ask what you think of modern day New York. Do you think the people back in the forties would have reacted the same way to the attack?”

“I think New York is one amazing city, no matter what year it is. I am always proud to be a Brooklyn boy. As for how people would have reacted to the attack in the forties, we were already fighting one war. I think we would have rallied all the same, but I think we’d have had a harder time of it.”

“Alright. One final thing, and then I’ll leave you all alone. Do any of you have a few words for the people of New York? A message for the survivors maybe?”

The Avengers all looked at one another, and, after a moment, Tony gave Steve an ‘after you’ gesture.

“Yes, I suppose we do have something to say to the fine people of this city. I want to tell them how proud we are of them. How honoured I feel living here. I want to say how impressed I am at how we all worked together, from Harlem to China Town.” He glanced at Tony, unsure, and the other man picked it up.

“I always knew New Yorkers were scrappy. What other city would have responded to an alien invasion with ‘damn aliens, get off my lawn’? Where else in the world would people have come together in the face of such tragedy? New York is full of crazy, crazy people who never take no for an answer and who never heard of the word ‘never’. And I love you all!”  Tony held up a peace sign for the camera.

“They’re right.” Banner’s voice was quiet, serious. “I’ve been from Bangkok to Toronto, from Sydney to Stockholm and nowhere is quite like New York.”

“It’s the best city in the world,” Clint added, serious for once.

“He’d know,” Natasha smiled. “I just call it home.”

“I came here from a galaxy far, far away. I could have chosen anywhere on this globe to settle in. New Mexico maybe, where my beloved Jane resides.  But I chose here, this city, this place.”

“It’s a good place to live,” Steve finished off, “and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cameos: CSI NY, White Collar, House MD, Night at the Museum, Suits.  
> I'm going to mark this as complete, but might come back to it with a sequel at some point.

**Author's Note:**

> Cameos: White Collar, Friends, Suits, How I Met Your Mother, Castle, White Collar, Suits, 2 Broke Girls, Enchanted, The Adjustment Bureau. 
> 
> Any one who wants other shows/films set in New York to be added to this, or anyone who wants the individual sections expanded, let me know. I may do a second chapter with the Avengers being interviewed, or with the Avengers watching the documentary. Or I may do both of those...


End file.
